Jailed Tunisian broadcaster Mourad Zeghidi starts hunger strike

Tunisian journalist and broadcaster Mourad Zeghidi has begun a hunger strike while in prison in protest against what his family described as “injustice” and judicial targeting.

In a statement issued on Thursday, Zeghidi’s family said the decision was both painful and potentially dangerous, but reflected a situation that had become unbearable.

“This painful decision, with all its serious consequences, is the result of a situation that can no longer be endured,” the family said. “Since the beginning of this case, we have continued to denounce what we consider unjust prosecutions that have deprived Mourad of his freedom and of his most basic rights.”

The family also expressed concern about the potential impact of the hunger strike on Zeghidi’s health and physical wellbeing, calling on journalists and media professionals to show solidarity with his case.

The development comes weeks after a Tunisian appeals court upheld a lower court ruling sentencing Zeghidi to three and a half years in prison following his conviction in a money laundering case.

Zeghidi’s family and legal defence team have consistently denied any connection between the journalist and the offence for which he was convicted, maintaining that he is innocent of the allegations against him.